But no matter why Julie was quiet, with her best friend out of the shop, Sasha felt as if she could finally breathe. And think.

She and Cole never had a chance to finish the conversation they’d started yesterday. Everyone made it to Daniel’s house to find he had started a huge breakfast. Kate ended up staying long past her originally stated hour and when she did leave, Sasha remembered Pip had been in her apartment, alone, since the day before.

Cole had simply nodded and said they’d talk later. She thought he’d text, but so far she hadn’t heard from him. She was still pleasantly sore from her night with him and it made her smile each time an image from their time together came to mind.

With a sigh, she headed toward the break room. There probably wouldn’t be any more customers today. She needed to work on inventory, but instead picked up a novel she was reading.

She’d only read a few pages when the door chimed, alerting her that someone had entered.

“Be right there!” she yelled.

In her imagination, it was Cole stopping by to pick up their conversation. She pictured it so clearly: they would chat in the break room and she’d invite him up to her apartment when they’d worked everything out. Once in her apartment, she’d lead him to the bedroom.

The imagery was so vivid in her mind, she dashed into the main room expecting to see Cole, but came to a complete stop when she saw Peter.

Every cell in her body protested and the all too familiar panic threatened to have its way with her. To counteract it, she visualized herself kneeling at Cole’s feet while he stroked her hair. In her mind she heard him say, “You’re safe, little one.”

She heard him so clearly and it felt so real, her body actually relaxed.

“Peter,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

He glanced around the shop and rubbed his hands down the front of his pants. His brown hair appeared unwashed and his eyes were ringed with dark circles. “I need some flowers. Are you the only one here?”

“There are five thousand other florists in Wilmington. If you didn’t want to see me, maybe you should have picked one of them.”

“They kicked me out of the group, you know. Because I called you.”

“I think the fact that you lied and said Master Greene told you to call is why you got kicked out.”

A surge of rage lit across his face. “William Greene is a pussy.”

She wished she hadn’t told Julie to go home. She wished it really had been Cole who stopped by. And she really, really wished Peter would leave. “Like they say, takes one to know one. Now what kind of flowers do you need?”

“Did you just call me a pussy?”

“Flowers. What kind?”

“I heard that Cole guy wasn’t allowed to fuck you. Why not? Can’t handle his dick?”

Cole’s comment about knowing what was counterfeit because you knew the real thing so well came back to her. It was true. Peter was no more a Dom than she was. Compared to Cole, he was a wannabe, an impostor.

The most enlightening feeling of power washed over her. Peter was nothing. A fake. A nobody. And she was strong.

She lifted her chin. There was no reason for Peter to be in her shop. She didn’t think him capable of violence, but the sad fact was you never knew. “I’ve decided I don’t want you in my shop. Leave and buy your flowers somewhere else.”

“Not very wise to mix your personal life with your business. You could be losing out on a big account I have.”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take. Leave now, and I won’t call the cops.” Her fingers inched toward the phone, just to show him she was serious. “And the next time you feel the urge to stop by Petal Pushers, ignore it.”

“You’re a bitch, Sasha.”

“Bye-bye.” She wiggled her fingers at him.

Peter had always been more bark than bite. Truthfully, he wasn’t a match for her. He knew when he had been bettered. He shot her one last look before heading to the door.

“One more thing,” she couldn’t stop herself from saying. “Rumors about Cole’s dick are seriously minimized. His cock would have you weep with envy.”

Peter couldn’t make it out the door fast enough.

For a long time, she simply looked at the front door and grinned. She’d done it. She’d faced her nightmare. She hugged herself. Damn, that felt good. She had the overwhelming urge to text Cole.

She patted her pockets. Damn it. She’d left her cell phone in the back room. Seconds later, she found it beside the book she’d been reading. She was scrolling through her contacts when the door chime rang out.

She sighed in exasperation. “I swear, if you brought your mangy ass back into my store, Cole’s cock won’t be the only thing you’ll be weeping over.”

There was no sound from the front of the store. Shit. She hoped it was Peter and not a customer. She was almost too afraid to go look, but it had to be done. She shoved her phone in her pocket right as the silence was broken by the sinfully sensual accent that made her knees weak.

“Who are you talking to and why are they weeping over my cock?”

Chapter Nine

She stood paralyzed for several seconds.

Shit.

She didn’t just yell out in her store about Cole’s dick, did she?

“Sasha?” Cole called.

Shit. She had.

His perfectly sculpted face appeared in the doorway. “There you are.” At least he was smiling. “I stopped by thinking if you closed up a bit early, we could finish our conversation from yesterday. But now I’m curious as to who you’re discussing my cock with.”

She was so flustered he was in her shop, just standing there, that she blurted out without thinking, “Peter.”

All at once, the smile left Cole’s face. “Peter was here? Today?”

“Just now.”

He open and closed his fists. “I’ll fucking beat the shit out of him.”

She moved toward him and held out her hand. “Wait, no. It’s okay—”

“It damn well is not okay.”

“Listen.” Something in her tone must have resonated with him, because his expression lost the murderous look and he gave a curt nod. She continued. “I was scared when I first realized who it was, but I did what you’d taught me and I remained calm and didn’t panic. Then I told him to leave and never come back. And I realized something else.”